Players and coaches react to the Sunday's four CHL games.
SaiPa Lappeenranta 3–2 Lulea Hockey (SO)
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"I feel that this game was little bit different that the game in the Lulea," said SaiPa head coach Ari Santanen. "We didn't start well, I don't know why. For most of the game, Lulea were skating much better than us and moved the puck better than we did but still we we played well defensively. The last 10 minutes of the third period were excellent for us. We fore-checked very hard and had so many chances to score. It was a really tough game."
"We had the game and then we let them back into it in the third period with some scoring chances," a disappointed Stefan Nilsson, Lulea head coach, said after the game. "I don't know why we did it. we played the way we wanted for two periods, had a two-goal lead, and we talked about keeping their chances down, but we just couldn't hold on." About the last game, he lamented, "We don't have our destiny in our own hands anymore, but we're going to do everything we can to beat Berlin."
"In the second period we were down a little bit, but in the third we picked everything up and played really well, I think," said SaiPa defenceman Per Savilahti-Nagander. "It's all inside our heads. We needed to skate more and forecheck harder. We knew we we're agood offensive team and we just had to believe in ourselves. It was a great feeling to play back in Lulea, too, but it was a great feeling to beat them here, in my second hometown."
Orli Znojmo 1–3 Fribourg-Gotteron
"It was a more difficult game than last time," said Fribourg coach Gerd Zenhausern, referring between the meeting between the teams in Fribourg on Thursday. "Znojmo played excellent hockey today, they were the better team and we were lucky to win with a good goalie. It's good to win those games when you don't play well, and we have qualified, so we've met out objective to this point."
Znojmo could be eliminated on Tuesday if Munich get at least a point in their home game against the Swiss side. Should Fribourg win that in regulation, Znojmo will need to win in Munich in the final group game by more than a goal to make it through.
"There's not really anything to criticize the players about, because they tried and fought until the end," said proud Znojmo coach Jiri Reznar. "Those other guys are just a little bit above us, talent-wise. It's a shame that we didn't do it. Now we hope for a Fribourg win in Munich, and also that we win there on Friday by the necessary goal difference."
Farjestad Karlstad 2–3 Sparta Prague (OT)
Farjestad coach Leif Carlsson figured, "We didn't capitalize on our good scoring chances. We created a whole lot of chances, especially during the first 12 or 13 minutes of the game, where we maybe should've capitalized a couple of times. But today we didn't, and it's a part of the game which we have to work with. Now we face Cracovia at home next weekend and, even though I think we showed great moral to cut deficit in the end, there are a couple of things we need to do better next game. Especially, capitalizing on the scoring chances."
"We appreciate this win but we wanted to win in 60 minutes, because we wanted to win this group,” said Sparta coach Jir Kalous, pointing out the complicated scenarios that were in play as the game neared its end. “Now we have to wait to see what happens in the last game (between Farjestad and Cracovia). We started slow but we started getting better, creating chances. Unfortunately, we lost the lead in the 60th minute but we had to regroup and try to win in overtime, and we did."
Grizzlys Wolfsburg 6–0 Dynamo Pardubice
"We played really well and I was happy with the performance," said Wolfsburg coach Pavel Gross. However, he warned, "On the other hand, I don't think we saw the best of Pardubice today, and we'll face a very different team back in their own rink, where we'll have to play better than today."
With this result, the Grizzlys need just a point when the two teams meet again in Pardubice on Wednesday. If they don't get it, they would still have a chance to advance if they win in Gothenburg in Group A's last game on Friday. As for Pardubice, they'll have to regroup from this game and focus on what they need to do next time out.
"Basically, I don't think it was a 6-0 game over 60 minutes. Most of the things that could have gone wrong today for us went wrong," said an almost speechless Pardubice coach Peter Draisaitl. About his team, he said, "We have to figure out whether we want to play together as a five-man unit or play as five individuals."